For Want of a Nail
by GuardianSoulBlade
Summary: An encounter with Warp leaves Starfire in the past, but as fate would have it, she's taken in by Haly's Circus and sees Dick's life before he became Robin. Her communicator is her only link to the future and Dick insist she not interfere with his life, but when his father alters the past, timelines converge.


**For Want of a Nail**

_An encounter with Warp leaves Starfire in the past, but as fate would have it, she's taken in by Haly's Circus and sees Dick's life before he became Robin. Her communicator is her only link to the future and Dick insist she not interfere with his life, but when his father alters the past, timelines converge._

_For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; __  
><em>_For want of a shoe, the horse was lost; __  
><em>_For want of a horse, the rider was lost; __  
><em>_For want of a rider, the message was lost; __  
><em>_For want of the message, the battle was lost; __  
><em>_For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost, __  
><em>_And all for the want of a horseshoe nail._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

Starfire avoided a laser blast as Warp fired on her; he was determined to once again steal the Clock of Eternity, Nightwing fought him with escrima sticks, beating him back as Raven threw a bookshelf at him.

Warp started to panic, this wasn't like the last time, the Titans had more experience, he needed to get out of there. He would always have the opportunity to steal it again. Time was always on his side.

"You will not get away!" Starfire screamed at him.

"Not you again!" Warp tried to avoid her, he vividly remembered the disaster that was his last attempt to steal the Clock of Eternity, she'd thwarted him. He managed to grab it and ran towards the open portal, she grabbed him and once again they shot through the portal.

Warp struggled against the alien girl, he struck her in the face, she accepted the blow and kicked him.

"Why must you cause me such trouble girl?" Warp demanded.

"I will never let you steal this clock!" Starfire proclaimed, "You will never ruin my future!"

"I'll make sure you don't ruin mine!" Warp snarled. He changed the coordinates, he'd send her back to a time before there was no Teen Titans, she wouldn't have friends to help her defeat him this time.

Starfire manage to grab a hold of a piece of his time travel device she ripped it off just as he blasted her away.

"NO!" Warp cried in anger, not again, she'd done it again, and he wouldn't be able to go back to his future without it.

Starfire plummeted to the ground, she smashed into the truck. Shaking her head, she got to her feet. She glanced around; Warp was nowhere to be found.

"He got away!" Starfire growled.

"Excuse me, young lady; you've damaged my car," the balding, elderly man told her. She glanced apologetically at the damaged vehicle.

"I am terribly sorry, but I do not have money to pay for repairs. Perhaps I could work it off?" Starfire had been on earth long enough to understand many things about the planet and its people. She no longer felt awkward among them and the only thing earthlings noticed about her was her speech patterns.

"I'll arrange for you to stay with someone here in the circus, since you'll only be here a few days," Mr. Haly smiled at her. He led her to the ticket office.

John was walking out towards the big top when he heard a strange noise; he looked over and saw a strange clock lying on the ground.

"Hey Mary, what kind of clock is this?" John asked.

"I don't know honey, are you going to keep it?"

"I think I will, I've never seen anything like it."

"Excuse me, ma'am," a friendly voice called to Mary, "Could you tell me where the circus owner is?"

"Over there, in the ticket office," Mary instructed him. The man in the suit turned and left.

C.C. Haly was speaking to Starfire, "Now miss Kori, I'm grateful that you're agreeing to work for me until you earn enough to pay off the repairs to my car, so we'll send you to help with the animals." He looked up and saw the man in the suit walk in. "Would you excuse me, Kori, I need to speak to this gentleman."

Starfire exited and glanced over at the man, he made her uncomfortable and suspicious, but she shouldn't alert him to her feeling and she watched as Haly shut the door, she leaned over and pressed her ear to the door.

"Mr. Haly, it's been ten years; the time has come once again for the Court of Owls to choose its next Talon."

"I know, John Wiclyffe, I know," Mr. Haly replied quickly.

"Don't call me by my name; you will address me as Grandmaster!" John shouted angrily.

"Give me and my friends a private performance of your best athletes tonight and we'll chose a new one, and in return, you get both protection from us and enough money to keep your circus going."

"Thank you," C.C. Haly told him, Kori flew out the door and dashed around a corner before John could see her.

Starfire stilled, the Court of Owls, the Titans had beaten them back more than once, they'd tried to expand outside of Gotham, but they'd taken an interest in Dick, claiming that they'd chosen him to be their next assassin, but after his parents had died, he'd been beyond their reach.

She knows she shouldn't interfere, that Dick wouldn't want her to, but she would have loved a shot at the Grandmaster of the Court of Owls for all the trouble he'd put the Titans through, even if it hadn't happened yet.

For now, she needed to leave and find a way to contact Nightwing and find a way back to her present before events were altered and their lives changed too much to be undone.

Kori collided with a figure and she saw him hit the ground. "I am terribly sorry; please let me help you up."

"It's all right, really," the boy said as he got to his feet.

It took everything in her power not to act shocked, but there, standing in front of her, was Dick Grayson, a smiling twelve year old.

"I've never seen you before, are you new here?" he asked.

"My name is Kori Anders; I accidentally broke Mr. Haly's truck. I am working to pay it off."

"It's nice to meet you, Dick," Kori smiles, he seems so happy, even happier than when she know him in future, but she remembers that this is his life as it should have been, not as it turned out.

Mr. Haly came over to her, "Miss Kori, I have arranged for you to stay with the Flying Graysons until you pay off my car repairs, it'll only be a day or two."

"We'd love to have you stay with us," Mary smiled. Starfire noticed how kind and warm she was, and she knew why Dick's memories of her were always happy.

"I am very grateful Mrs. Grayson—" Kori thanked her.

"Please call me Mary, Mrs. Grayson makes me feel old. You got here in time for lunch."

"Thank you," Starfire followed Mary Grayson; this was becoming a very interesting experience.

* * *

><p>Nightwing had watched Starfire vanish again into the wormhole, where would she go now? A distant future worse than the one she visited, or somewhere else?<p>

He tried his communicator, "Starfire? Starfire!"

He turned to Cyborg, "Stop the portal from closing!" Cyborg fired his Sonic Cannon, forcing it to stay open.

"Raven, help Cyborg keep the portal open until he can stabilize it!" He tried his communicator again.

Back in the past, Starfire hovered above the Grayson's trailer, she called to him again, "Nightwing can you hear me? Nightwing!"

"Star, something's wrong, my memories of you are different, I met you in Gotham City, why?"

"It's where I crash landed when I fought Warp," Starfire explained. "It is June 26th; do you want me to interfere with Tony Zucco?"

"No Star, as tempting as it is, I don't want you to alter my past in anyway, no matter what I'll think or if I wanted to, messing with time travel is dangerous. You know that. You haven't told me that you have powers have you?"

"No I have not," Starfire replied.

"Good, see that I don't find out," Nightwing sounded relieved. "Any luck in your search for Warp or the Clock of Eternity?"

"I have not found it," Starfire smiled. "Dick, the Court of Owls is here."

"They were always there, Star," Dick replied.

"I can hear you coming, I must go." She ended the communication. Younger Dick Grayson exited the trailer just as she touched the ground.

"Hey, I heard you're staying with us for a few days," he noticed she had red hair, like Raya Vestri but she was much, much prettier.

"Yes, I am, just for a few days, you seem happy about something," she noticed his excitement.

"Tomorrow is my Mom's birthday," Dick smiled, "I got her something nice, I hope she'll like it."

"I am sure that she will," Kori smiled. He headed towards the big top.

Dick had heard from his father that they were giving a private performance for a bunch of rich people, he didn't think anything of it, it was just another show. They performed their routines and the audience clapped.

They returned back to their trailer and Dick went out to visit Raymond and Raya.

Mary was putting dinner dishes away; Kori felt that she should help her.

"So where are you from Kori?" Mary asked curiously.

"I live in Jump City, California," Starfire replied.

"What are you doing all the way up here?"

"A vacation from modeling," Starfire explained, it had been what she'd been doing when Warp had shown up, she'd needed a break from modeling and she'd made a good excuse for a vacation to see her friends.

"Are you happy in your job?" Mary smiled.

"I am, and you certainly seem happy in yours," Starfire handed her the dishes.

"You have a ring, engaged or married?"

"Married, 14 years," Starfire replied.

"That's good, not a lot of people do that anymore," Mary said, suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get that, please don't feel you have to keep doing those," Mary left the room.

Kori saw her leave, she moved closer to listen to the voices in the other room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Grayson, your son has been chosen for a great honor," John Wycliffe told them.

John glared at him, "I know what you've chosen him for, don't forget about who my family is, I know that _he_ chose Dick for your criminal cabal, we won't let you take him and turn him into one of your puppets!"

"We'll humor you, because of your grandfather and you are the darlings of Haly's Circus, enjoy the time with your son, you won't always be able to protect him from us!" John Wycliffe turned and left, leaving the Flying Graysons alone. Mary was shaking.

"It's okay, Mary, s'okay," John told her, holding his wife in his arms.

"Is something wrong?" Starfire asked, stepping into the room.

"No Kori, just some unwanted visitors," John explained. She'd heard everything but didn't say a word. Dick opened the door and walked in, their visitors had left right before he got home.

"I'm back, Mom, Dad, are you guys okay?" Dick asked concerned.

"Son, it's getting late, you should go to bed, we have an early day tomorrow," John told him, "And it's your mother's birthday too."

"Good night son," Mary told him.

"Good night mom, dad," Dick told them. He headed to bed.

Mary made a bed for Starfire on their couch, Starfire settled down and closed her eyes, dreading tomorrow, as the end of Dick's happy life would unfold, and she'd have to watch it.

* * *

><p>Starfire at breakfast the Graysons, enjoying the sight of Dick with them. She also enjoyed the cooking, Mary's food was excellent.<p>

"I think it's time for practice!" Dick Grayson said excitedly.

"That must mean you've finished everything on your plate Dick?" Mary asked.

Dick quickly shoved the remaining vegetables in his mouth.

"Okay, okay," John conceded, "Come on let's go!"

Dick slid under the table, spit the food into the trash and rushed out the door, somersaulting off the porch and flpping off a stack of platforms for the animals. He ran to the big top. John and Mary followed, watching him.

Starfire left the trailer. "I will see you later." She needed to meet C.C. Haly and he needed to show her what she needed to do.

"I'm telling you Mary, a leash is the only answer for that boy, wait for us, son!"

John felt his wife rest her hand on his chest adoringly and followed him to the tent.

They walked to the big top, "Dick your father said to wait—" Mary gasped in surprise and fear as she saw a man inside the tent.

"Looks like the circus is in town," Kori saw the man's face and knew who he was, as much as she wanted to she knew she could not interfere.

"Tony Zucco, welcome to Gotham City," he held his hand out to Dick. John shook his hand, wary.

"John Grayson, the circus manager, may I help you?" he asked.

"I'd like to think I'm here to help you John, for a small fee, my brothers and I will provide your circus with protection," Tony Zucco said smoothly. John was on edge, he knew the man was one of Gotham's notorious crime bosses.

"Protection? I'm not sure I understand why we'd need your protection," John crossed his arms.

"Hmm," Dick did the same.

"I come from circus folk myself, so let me put this in terms you can understand, you don't pay us, you'll have to deal with a strongman," Zucco pointed, his big brother knocked over a pile of circus props.

"A lion tamer," another one used a whip to pull down the lights above their heads.

"And a juggler," the juggler shattered the sign.

He was about to throw another billiard when Dick vaulted over one of the stands and landed in front of him.

"Stop!" Dick shouted.

"Dick!" his mother shouted a warning to him.

Zucco seemed impressed, "You've got quite a family here John."

He walked over and put a hand on Dick's shoulder, "I know my brothers mean the world to me, I'm not sure what I'd do if something happened to them," he gripped Dick's shoulder at a pressure point.

"Ah!" Dick screamed in pain.

John rushed Zucco, knocking him off his feet. He threw the juggler away and avoided the lion tamer's whip, leaping up off his back and landing on his feet.

He was stunned as the Strongman hit him in the back of the head, he hit the ground hard.

John struggled to push himself up.

Tony Zucco walked towards him, "Let me be blunt, John. I don't think this circus or your family can afford not having our protection."

Dick Grayson glared at him, "Funny, 'cause I think we can."

"And what makes you so sure about that, Sonny?" Zucco taunted.

"I called the police 5 minutes ago," Dick held up the phone.

"And guess who intercepted that call," a voice spoke menacingly behind him.

Zucco turned around in horror as he saw Gotham's Dark Knight staring at him.

Batman punched him so hard, the mobster hit the sawdust hard, John looked up in surprise.

"Whoa!" Dick exclaimed, he hadn't expected Batman to actually show up there.

Three of the mobsters started running out of the big top, Zucco gave Dick a hateful look as they exchanged glances.

The Batarang bounced of the lion tamer's hand, causing him to drop the whip, flying back to hit him in the head. The man was out cold.

Batman glanced over at the Flying Graysons as Mary held John close to her, resting her head on his chest. Dick glanced over at the Dark Knight, Dick swore he saw Batman smile at him. Then he left without a word, and the Graysons cleaned up the big top before running thorugh their routine.

The day had been busy, Mary had postponed any celebrations of her birthday until after the show. Starfire had been busy with the animals an doing chores around the circus. Mary finished straightening John's shirt.

"Okay Dick, come on out now," Mary ordered.

"No, I look like a loser!" he complained.

"Your mother worked hard on the new costumes, well are you gonna just stand there?" John asked.

Dick stepped out, yanking the collar of his shirt around in discomfort.

"Is there any reason this costume has to be so bright and colorful?" he asked.

"When I see you up there Richard, you make me think of a little robin," Mary knelt down and placed her hand over the R insignia on his chest.

"A robin like the bird?" he about rolled his eyes. "You know mom, kids get beat up for nicknames like that."

"What if we call you our flying squirrel?" John teased. "Better?"

"You know dad, I'm not the only one who looks like a loser," Dick laughed.

"Loser? I'll teach you!" He pulled his wife and son into a hug.

"Oh John," Mary laughed, holding them both.

"Excuse me honey, I'm going to check the rigging," John excused himself.

"We usually do that after a show," Mary wondered why he decided to.

John ran back in, "Mary, come look at this!" They made their way up to the platform.

Starfire can see the concern on John's face as he points to the trapeze, the screw that secured it had been removed and if he hadn't double checked it, they would have died.

The realization of what's happening hits Starfire like a ton of bricks.

_For want of a nail, the shoe was lost…_

"Mary, I think someone tried to kill us," John looked angry. "If I hadn't thought to check the rigging—"

_For want of a shoe, the horse was lost; _

"We could have died, John, thank God you found it, if something happened to us, I don't know who would have taken care of Dick," Mary held him tightly. "That scares me more than anything!"

John clutched her to him, reassuring her that everything was fine.

"Dad, are we going to be okay?" Dick asked.

"Don't worry son, we'll make sure Zucco never comes after us again."

"Are we going to try to contact Batman?" Dick asked.

"We'll try, I'm sure he'd help us," John replied.  
><em><br>For want of a horse, the rider was lost; _

Starfire knew that Batman would continue down a darker path, because without Robin, there wasn't someone to keep the darker parts of his life at bay. Batman needed a partner, and Dick had recognized that.  
><em><br>__For want of a rider, the message was lost;  
><em>_  
><em>"Come on son, we're on," Mary told him. Dick followed her out.

Together, the Grayson family walked out to the cheering crowds awaiting them in Haly's Circus. The roaring of the audience filled Richard's ears. Mr. Haly's voice filled the speakers. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Children of all ages, I present to you The Fearless Flying Graysons!" The crowd roared approval.

Starfire watched as John and Mary mounted the trapeze platform as Mr. Haly began to speak, "As always, performing their daring feats without the safety of a net!"

She watched as the Flying Graysons performed their acrobatic routine, Dick had always told her that they'd been the best acrobats in the world, seeing it with her own eyes, she knew it was true, they were incredible.

"And now, the youngest member of this amazing family!" Mr. Haly gestured to Dick, Starfire saw him remove the yellow robe and saw his Robin uniform. He joined his parents on the trapeze.

Starfire felt the tears slip down her cheeks as she began to clap.

_For want of the message, the battle was lost; _

Would Batman still be the righteous defender of justice, or would he become the very monster he fought against?

Would Dick become a Talon, blindly loyal to his masters, the Court of Owls, killing at their every whim, would the Titans ever meet, become friends and battle evil?

_For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost, _

If Dick Grayson didn't become Robin because of his parents' death, then Starfire knew her relationship with him would have never happened. But why hadn't Nightwing's future been drastically altered, and why were the Flying Graysons dead in it? Why did she still have a relationship with him? It couldn't be because they'd met earlier in this new timeline, she'd never told him about being an alien or the translation of her Tamaranean name, Starfire.

Starfire paled and ducked out of their sight, since John had altered his past so that he and his wife would live, did it mean something terrible would happen to Dick instead?

She'd have to ask him about it later. Starfire composed herself quickly and stepped out smiling.

"So did you enjoy the show?" Dick asked excitedly.

"Yes, all of you were wonderful," she smiled at him.

"Kori, come on, my wife is making dinner," John smiled at her, "You look like you need something to eat."

"All right," Kori conceded. She followed him back, glancing over at Dick, as he spoke to Raya and Raymond. Starfire felt a horrible sense of dread come over her, but she didn't know why.

_And all for the want of a horseshoe nail…_


End file.
